A SENIOR councillor was jailed yesterday after being convicted of a string of sex attacks on girls.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Leslie Sheppard lured the teenagers into his gold Porsche and drove them to remote spots, where he indecently assaulted them.

Yesterday, the 71-year-old was jailed for two years - a sentence that automatically disqualifies him from serving on Durham City Council, where he was a member of the authority's influential policy and community services scrutiny panels.

He was also ordered to be placed on the sex offenders' register for ten years.

The Labour councillor, who represented Coxhoe ward, was convicted in early December of ten counts of indecent assault on three girls, after a four-day trial.

However, he angered fellow councillors by continuing to attend meetings while awaiting sentence, despite calls by the ruling Liberal Democrat group for him to resign.

Under local government rules, a councillor is automatically disqualified only when he is sentenced to at least three months' imprisonment, even if the sentence is suspended.

The court heard that Sheppard, of The Grove, Coxhoe, had lured one girl, then aged 13, into a car with a promise of a driving lesson, then indecently assaulted her.

Another 13-year-old punched Sheppard in the face when he pulled the car into a layby and attempted to assault her.

The youngest of his victims was nine at the time of the attack.

The girl told the court how he had driven her to a disused factory on a Sunday afternoon, where he assaulted her.

The assaults, which happened between 1963 and 1983, came to light when one of the victims wrote to Sheppard's third wife, Olga, in 1998, to inform her of the attacks.

Robin Turton, prosecuting, said that Sheppard told police: "I love women, but you do things which you regret."

Jamie Hill, defending, said that Sheppard still maintained his innocence and his family was standing by him.

Yesterday, Judge Michael Cartlidge told Sheppard: "I acknowledge this is a tragedy for all involved. You have a high standing in the community, but there is a dark side which convicted you of abusing three young girls."

Last night, the leader of Durham City Council, Councillor Fraser Reynolds, said: "Leslie Sheppard will be automatically disqualified as a member of the council because he has received a custodial sentence.

"There will have to be a by-election for the Coxhoe ward and details will be provided in due course."